Semovente da 75/18
The Semovente da 75/18 '(meaning in Italian "''self-propelled gun with a 75 mm gun long 18 calibers") was an Italian '''self-propelled gun, and is acknowledged as Italy's best armoured vehicle of WW2. History After the beginning of the conflict, it was suggested to couple the modern Obice da 75/18 Modello 34 '''75 mm mountain howitzer to the '''M13/40 tank chassis, to create a self-propelled gun; such an initiative was inspired by the successful use of the similar StuG III in the campaign against France. The suggestion was quickly approved, and, after a prototype proved successful, an initial batch of 60 M40 was ordered, to be assigned (in the ranks of the Artillery corps) to the three italian armoured divisions; more orders would follow. The chassis of the medium tank was retained, with only the superstructure being completely modified. A box-like structure housed the 75 mm howitzer and the three-men crew. The small cramped space was a hindrance, and also meant that it was impossible to fire the gun with the hatches closed without asphyxiating the crew members or without dangerous overheating. The Semoventi had a nominal ammunition load of 48 shells, but on the field the crews usually carried some 100 rounds by removing their seats and sitting on the extra shells; an 8 mm machine-gun for close defence was added later. The engine was the same as the M13/40, and proved underpowered and (initially) unreliable; protection was somewhat better than on the medium tank, however, with the Semovente sporting two conjoined frontal armour plates each 25 mm thick, and enjoying a small and low silhouette. Reaching the North African theatre by the end of 1941, the Semoventi proved successful, both in the intended role of providing fire support to the tank units against fortifications and infantry, and both in the role of tank destroyers, for which neither the vehicle nor the gun were designed. However, thanks to the howitzer being ideally suited for firing HEAT shells (called "Effetto Pronto" by the Italians), the Semovente proved capable of knocking out at combat ranges pretty all but the heaviest tanks in the Allies' lineup, even the M3 Lee and the M4 Sherman, thus giving the Italian armoured units some badly-needed firepower, and teaching their opponents to respect them. As the war went on, the Semovente was regularly upgraded, its chassis becoming the one of the M14/41 and then of the M15/42 tanks (with its designation becoming M41 and M42 respectively); in 1943 newly-built Semoventi were fitted with the Cannone S.F. da 75/34 (the same of the P40 heavy tank). A redesigned and upgunned version (the M43 "Bassotto", Italian for "dachsund", armed with a 105 mm gun) arrived too late to do more than participate in the unsuccessful defence of Rome after the Italian armistice on September 8th, 1943. The Germans, considering them the best Italian armoured vehicles, rounded up all the Semoventi they could find (also keeping their production lines open), and used them extensively up to 1945 in Italy and in the Balkans. After the war, some were used by the Italian Army even into the 1950s. The Semovente proved quite successful, and became one of the few Italian armoured vehicles earning some degree of respect even from their opponents. However, the small numbers in which it was built (no more than 350 of all versions before 1943, with no more than 30 being present at the Second Battle of El Alamein) meant that its strategical impact was negligible. Other info Anzio Girls High School has some Semoventi da 75/18 of the M.41 variant, although the external fuel canisters were adopted only in the later M.42 model. be extended... Tank basic characteristics Anzio has some standard Semoventi M42 da 75/18. *'Armament' 1. Main Gun : Obice Mod. 34 da 75/18 2. Other : 1x 8mm Breda Mod. 38 MG *'Hull Armor' ' '''1. Front : 25 + 25 mm 2. Sides : 25 mm 3. Rear : 25 mm *'Speed : '''35 km/h (25 mp/h) on road More details about the Semovente da 75/18 Semovente da 75/18 Semovente da 75/18 specifications Category:Tanks